Are Democrats sure they’re winning? Winners don’t usually have to disavow their own team members’ comments, or apologize for their own…..

Today in an exchange on Twitter with the Politico’s Ben White, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said, “POTUS wants the shutdown to end NOW. Speaker can do that NOW by putting a clean CR to a vote.”

When White asked Carney if he was disavowing the quote in the WSJ that the WH does not care how long shutdown lasts, Carney carefully responded that “we utterly disavow idea WH doesn’t care when it ends. House should act now, no strings attached.”

Note he disavowed the “idea” – not the actual quote. The White House is officially in damage control mode.

Meanwhile, via the Washington Times we have Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid delivering “a striking mea culpa” on the Senate floor as he opened the chamber, Friday, “apologizing for his nasty tone”.

A day earlier Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican, had scolded Mr. Reid for attacking Sen. Ted Cruz, another Texas Republican, by name as they debated the government shutdown. Mr. Cornyn read directly from the Senate Rules that prohibit members from impugning each other’s motives or conduct.

Reid had accused Mr. Cruz, who wasn’t present, of having “usurped the rest of the GOP leadership, including House Speaker John A. Boehner.”

“He is following Senator Cruz ‘s idea specifically. Senator Cruz is now joint Speaker. He lectures the House on occasion, as he does people over here,” Mr. Reid said. He also called the GOP moves he said Cruz was spearheading “crazy.”

On Friday, Reid was singing a different tune, saying all senators, including himself, should learn to be more civil.

“I’ll work harder and I hope my senators will work to their best to maintain these habits of civility and decorum,” he said.

Asa friend on Twitterrightly notes, leftists like Reid never apologize unless their nasty tactics have begun to backfire.